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Chastity Bono Becoming A Man, May Get Married

Chastity Bono, the only child of entertainers Sonny and Cher, has begun taking steps to transition from female to male, a publicist revealed yesterday. He began living as a man in March, shortly after his 40th birthday, and is now known to his family and friends as Chaz.

Bono's publicist, Howard Bragman, said in a statement, "Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by his loved ones. It is Chaz's hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his 'coming out' did nearly 20 years ago." Can I Find Love If I'm Transgendered?

Chastity came out to her parents in 1987, and then posed on the cover of The Advocate in 1995 to announce that she was a lesbian. Cher told People in 1998 that she did not take the news well, but eventually accepted her daughter. (The ageless Oscar winner has since become an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights and prominent member of PFLAG.) Chastity's father, Sonny, initially was more receptive, but their relationship cooled after he became a Republican congressman and adopted more conservative political views. When Sonny died in a 1998 skiing accident, he and Chastity had not spoken for over a year.

In an ironic twist, once Bono files the paperwork to legally designate himself a man, he will be able to marry his partner of several years, who is a woman. California's Proposition 8 banned same-sex marriages in the state in November, but once Chaz has transitioned he'll be legally allowed to have an opposite marriage, even though it's one that began as a lesbian relationship. We're sure this delights Chaz's mother, who once said she was saddened when he came out because, "I'd always had this idea that she would get married and have a family." Wish granted, Cher!

If the movie Transamerica taught us anything, it's that Felicity Huffman is awesome. If it taught us two things, it's that this process won't be easy for Chaz, and that people might be crazy and nosy, but we wish him and his family all the luck in the world.

Adam Lambert

No one was surprised when American Idol alum, Adam Lambert, came out to Rolling Stone in June 2009, including him!

"I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I'm gay," the singer told the magazine. "I'm proud of my sexuality. I embrace it. It's just another part of me."

Yes, Adam's sexuality is just another part of him, just as much as heavy black eyeliner and sequins are in his raunchy stage performances. But at least he's comfortable in his own skin!

Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Chaz Bono

Current Dancng With The Stars contestant, Chaz Bono, referred to his sexual reassignment from female to male as "the best decision I've ever made." The child of Cher and Sonny Bono, Chad (originally, Chastity) has said that he felt like a boy from "as far back" as he could remember. When he finally made the decision to change his outside to reflect what he was feeling inside, the transformation was monumental.

"Life is short and life is precious," he once said on Good Morning America. "This is who I am and I need to finally be who I am... I am happier, more confident. I feel great... It would almost be easy to say why did I wait so long to do this, except I'm a person who believes things happen when they're supposed to happen. I was ready when I was supposed to be ready."

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Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres is arguably the most famous lesbian in Hollywood – and it doesn't hurt that she's also one of the most successful females in the business, period. The talk show host revealed her secret (and made history) back in April 1997 by writing it into the script of her hit sitcom, Ellen.

When asked what motivated her to come out, Ellen said, "I never wanted to be 'the lesbian actress.' I never wanted to be the spokesperson for the gay community. Ever. I did it for my own truth." p Despite what she may or may not have wanted, Ellen is the most iconic face of gay women, and her loving marriage to Portia de Rossi is an inspiration to other women like her that they can have it all.

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Elton John

Speaking of same-sex parents, Elton John and his husband of 6 years, David Furnish, welcomed their first son, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, in December 2010.

Like Chaz Bono, Elton John says coming out was "the best thing" he's ever done – but he did it way before anyone else in the spotlight was!

"I came out in 1973, at the height of my career," Elton told The View last year. "And yeah, it hurt me a little bit, but not that much, and it gave me the freedom to be who I was for the rest of my life. I don’t have to hide around corners."

Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for EJAF

Jane Lynch

Nothing can stop Jane Lynch! She killed it as host of the 2011 Emmys, and has been killing for a while as the tracksuited-up snob, Sue Sylvester, on Glee.

She's a confident woman, which is why it's surprising that she needed a little inspirational push from Ellen DeGeneres to come out of the closet. When appearing as a guest on Ellen's talk show in 2010, Jane revealed, "I used to lay in bed and go, 'How will I come out or will I come out?' You were at the height of your fame and you came out. And that just blazed a trail for me. It really did. It made it so much easier for me, what you did."

Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Neil Patrick Harris

In November 2006, Doogie Howser told the world through an interview with People magazine:

"I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love."

Ever since, Neil Patrick Harris has been enjoying life playing a straight playboy on the hit show, How I Met Your Mother, and (in real life) is happily engaged to David Burtka. The two are proud papas to adorable twins, Gideon Scott and Harper Grace, who were born via surrogate in October 2010.

Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Ricky Martin

We're sure a lot of women's heart's broke when Ricky Martin revealed he was gay after Barbara Walters outed him in an interview in 2000. She put him on the spot, so much so, that he felt compelled to write a public response which stated, "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am."

But once he was out, the Latin singer was out. He's the proud parent of twin boys that he had via surrogacy, and the author of the juicy memoir, Me, in which he reveals he has a kinky alter-ego, known as KiKi. Ricky Martin's 'KiKi' Side Is Kinky

Credit: PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP/Getty Images

Wanda Sykes

Wanda Sykes is a very funny comedian, but she didn't find anything funny about California's passing of Prop 8 in 2006, which refused gays the right to marry. To stand up against it, Wanda told a crowd in Las Vegas:

"You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn't feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life. Everybody that knows me personally they know I'm gay. But that's the way people should be able to live their lives... I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay." Wanda Sykes Literally Comes Out

On that pivotal day, Wanda also announced that she had married her longtime partner, Alex, a few months prior. Now, the couple have twins, Olivia and Lucas, and Prop 8 has since been overturned.

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Amber Heard

When she was 24 and just starting to make a name for herself in Hollywood with roles in Zombieland and Pineapple Express, Amber Heard, who is now engaged to Johnnt Depp, made it a point to talk openly about her sexuality.

"I think GLAAD is one of the many reasons that I, as a 24-year-old, can come out," she told AfterEllen.com in 2010. Previously that week, she attended GLAAD's 25th Anniversary Party arm-in-arm with her artist girlfriend, Tasya van Ree. It was certainly one way to come out in style!